Renowned Ghanaian physician and cardiothoracic surgeon, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has paid glowing tribute to Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, describing him as a champion of African personality and a unifying force for the continent.
In an article titled “My Nkrumah”, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng recounted his childhood experiences and how his grandfather, Nana Kwame Appiah, a diehard UP supporter, instilled in him the values of the United Party and its traditions.
He noted that despite his initial reservations about Nkrumah’s CPP, he later came to appreciate the former President’s works and achievements, including his role in the fight for Ghana’s independence and his mentorship of several African leaders.
“Kwame Nkrumah did all he could to eliminate tribalism and promoted loyalty to the State of Ghana… He established secondary schools in all parts of Ghana, established the Ghana Medical School, and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, among others,” Prof. Frimpong-Boateng wrote.
He added, “Nkrumah built State-Owned Enterprises and other projects, including the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank, Agricultural Development Bank, National Investment Bank, and the Tema Oil Refinery, among others.”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng noted that Nkrumah’s legacy must be respected, saying, “Nkrumah is dead and gone, but he has relatives and children, and the legacy of Nkrumah, a global icon, must be respected.”
He quoted Nkrumah as saying, “We were engaged in a kind of war, a war against poverty and disease, against ignorance, against tribalism and disunity. We needed to secure the conditions which could allow us to pursue our policy of reconstruction and development.”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng concluded, “Asɛm asa! Nkrumah’s greatness and his unparalleled contribution to Ghana and Africa were sealed when, in the year 2000, he was voted African Man of the Millennium by a BBC World Service listeners’ poll.”
